The Best Movies, TV, Books and Music for July

Welcome to Culture Hound, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise.

WATCH: Sorry to Bother You
Boots Riley (from iconic political hip-hop group The Coup) wrote and directed this bizarre tale of an African-American telemarketer (up-and-comer Lakeith Stanfield) who suddenly excels at his job when he adopts a “white voice” — the very pasty tones of comedian David Cross. (July 6)

For more recommended July flicks, including Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6), McQueen (July 20) and Mission Impossible: Fallout (July 27), check out our Summer Movie Guide.

BUY: Vintage Dieter Rams
More than 130 works by the famed industrial designer (and some of his cohorts) will be up for auction mid-month, including an array of tableside radios, projectors, alarm clocks, turntables and lounge chairs. Before you buy, it’d be a good time to remind yourself of Rams’s 10 principles for good design, which inspired Apple. (July 12)

PERUSE: Eternal Beauty
Since 1963, Italian tire company Pirelli has recruited the help of notable supermodels and fashion photographers to produce “a deluxe, often risqué, play on the pinup calendar.” This hardcover tome chronicles 50+ years of provocation, from the calendar’s erotic origins to the decidedly feminist stance it has adopted in recent years. (July 24)

LISTEN: Our Spotify playlist
The best tunes of the month, including new songs by Interpol, Macy Gray, Gorillaz, Underworld and more.

Gossamer CH (2 images)

READ: Gossamer
A publication for “discerning and curious individuals who just happen to smoke weed.” So while exploring expected topics like CBD and stoned Tinder, this handsomely photographed mag also touches on secret hotels, Sedona’s renaissance as a travel destination, the weirdly beautiful world of fake food and criminal-justice reform. (Available now)

CELEBRATE: Nelson Mandela 100th birthday
The late South African leader was born on July 18, 1918. To mark this centennial occasion, we offer two timely book suggestions: Going to the Mountain, a series of life lessons as shared by his grandson (out June 26), and The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela (out July 10), a series of previously unseen correspondence from the great anti-apartheid revolutionary.

BINGE: Castle Rock
No one’s quite sure what this new J.J. Abrams-produced drama is about, but it does tie together a lot of Stephen King’s most iconic works — which often took place in this titular city. (July 25, Hulu)

ENJOY: “Danny Don’t You Know,” Ninja Sex Party
The L.A. music “act” — and they’re certainly an act — meld ‘70s glam rock theatrics, pubescent angst and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard into the year’s best music video. Also, lyrically, this is life-affirming stuff (“Danny, don’t you know you’re cool as f*ck on the inside?”).

And don’t forget … That dermatologist behind those pimple-poppin’ vids on YouTube gets her own show, the aptly titled This Is Zit (July 11, TLC) … Our favorite oddball travel site Atlas Obscura just launched a food-focused Gastro section (sample article: “The Ornate Ice Cream Saloons That Served Unchaperoned Women”) … If you missed the co-operative horror thrills of Left 4 Dead, Earthfall might satiate your gaming bloodlust (July 13) … Somebody told me The Killers released their own wine … If you missed ‘em in the theater, you can now catch A Quiet Place (July 10) and Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs (July 17) at home … If you’re in L.A., Pornhub Nation is an immersive art exhibit showcasing sex in the future (July 14-Aug 17) … Bobcat Goldthwait got himself a weirdo anthology show (July 11, truTV) … Bruce Willis is the next subject of the Comedy Central Roast (July 29) … And finally, the welcome return of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (July 6, Netflix), Orange Is the New Black (July 27, Netflix) and Shark Week (starts July 22).